PM unveils new science, technology and innovation policy at 100th Indian Science Congress

Kolkata, Jan 3 (ANI): The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, on Thursday, unveiled the Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STI) 2013 by presenting its first copy to President Pranab Mukherjee at the inaugural session of the 100th Indian Science Congress here today.

Union Science and Technology Minister Jaipal Reddy, Union Communication and Information Technology Minister Kapil Sibal, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and other dignitaries from the field of Science and Technology were present during the event held at the Salt Lake Stadium here.

The STI Policy seeks to send a signal to the Indian scientific community, both in the private and public domain, that science, technology and innovation should focus on faster, sustainable and inclusive development of the people.

The policy seeks to focus on both STI for people and people for STI. It aims to bring all the benefits of Science, Technology and Innovation to the national development and sustainable and more inclusive growth. It seeks the right sizing of the gross expenditure on research and development by encouraging and incentivizing private sector participation in R and D, technology and innovation activities.

The policy also seeks to trigger an ecosystem for innovative abilities to flourish by leveraging partnerships among diverse stakeholders and by encouraging and facilitating enterprises to invest in innovations.

It also seeks to bring in mechanisms for achieving gender parity in STI activities and gaining global competitiveness in select technological areas through international cooperation and alliances. The policy goal is to accelerate the pace of discovery, diffusion and delivery of science led solutions for serving the aspirational goals of India for faster, sustainable and inclusive growth.

A Strong and viable Science, Research and Innovation system for High Technology led path for India (SRISHTI) are the goal for the STI policy.

The key features of the STI policy 2013 includes promoting the spread of scientific temper amongst all sections of society, enhancing skills for applications of science among the young from all social sectors, making careers in science, research and innovation attractive enough for talented and bright minds and establishing world class infrastructure for Rand D for gaining global leadership in some select frontier areas of science.

It also aims to positioning India among the top five global scientific powers by 2020(by increasing the share of global scientific publications from 3.5 percent to over 7 percent and quadrupling the number of papers in top one percent journals from the current levels), and linking contributions of Science Research and innovation system with the inclusive economic growth agenda and combining priorities of excellence and relevance. (ANI)